Ale Bitters
Ingredients
Directions
Combine gentian root and lemon peel in a gallon of ale.
Steep for 10 days.
Strain through a bag.
Bottle and cork for use.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Gentian root
- Provides the intensely bitter flavor that defines the bitters.
- Fresh lemon peel
- Adds bright citrus aroma and a touch of acidity to balance the bitterness.
- Ale
- Acts as the solvent that extracts flavor from the botanicals during steeping.
The step that matters
Steep for 10 days. Flavor is extracted slowly by alcohol, so steeping too briefly leaves the bitters weak and underdeveloped. Full time lets the gentian's bitter compounds and the lemon oils dissolve into the ale.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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